How to Celebrate Diwali with Pets

Tranquil earthen lamps and bright lights illuminating homes and streets, worship of the Goddess Lakshmi, donning the finest of clothes and celebrating the festival with your loved ones— there’s a lot of things to look forward to during Diwali.  

Mouthwatering delicacies and decorating the home with beautiful rangolis is also a part of the Diwali celebrations. So are bursting firecrackers.

However, if you have pets, then you might celebrate Diwali a little differently than other people.

Most animals are scared of firecrackers as some of them make very loud noises. Also, because these loud sounds and smoke is not something that the animals are used to.

Be it pets or the animals living on the streets as strays, everyone is scared of firecrackers. So, what can you do to make your pets feel safe during Diwali?

If you have been wondering how to celebrate a pet-friendly diwali, then you are at the right place.

Go through the following tips to celebrate a pet-friendly diwali and make this Diwali truly stress-free and wonderful for your beloved pet—

1. Turn on the music.

This is a very obvious one and perhaps, you have already been doing this while celebrating Diwali with a pet.

In order to protect your pet from the loud noise of firecrackers, you can turn on some music.

Keep the pet in the room where music is being played and keep the volume high enough for it to drown out the sounds of the firecrackers.

You also need to make sure that the volume is not so high that it hurts your pet’s ears.    

2. Create a den for your pet.

Many animals tend to retreat to their safe place when they feel scared or threatened. Pet dogs and cats have the tendency to do the exact same thing.

What you can do is create a den-like space in your home where your pet feels extra-safe.

If possible, make this den covered from all sides except one.

The den can be a comfy crate that your pooch is used to.

Or you can put some blankets under a table or a bench to create a new safe space for your pupper to run to when they get scared.

Wondering how to celebrate Diwali with pets?

Create a new den in your home for them to take shelter in when the sound of the firecrackers get too much for them.              

3. Keep your pet indoors.

Dogs usually stay indoors. If you keep your dog outside, you can consider bringing the dog indoors during Diwali.

This would ensure that they are safe and that they are not as scared as they would be outdoors.

If you have a cat that likes to roam outside most of the time, then for a couple of days, keep the cat indoors.

Otherwise, there’s a good chance that your cat may get hurt or even lost.

So, if you have been thinking “how to take care of pets during diwali”, keeping them indoors is a great way to do so.    

4. Get your dog or cat a thunder-jacket.

Some puppers have it pretty bad during Diwali. They get so scared that they can’t stop shaking. Some even urinate uncontrollably due to fear.

Do you have a dog who gets scared to no end? Then you can get a thunder-jacket for your pooch.

It is commonly used for dogs who are scared of the loud noises of thunder. But it works equally well to provide comfort to dogs who are scared of firecrackers.

A thunder-jacket or a thunder-shirt works in a way which brings extra- comfort to your dog when the firecrackers start to go off.

It applies a constant pressure to your dog’s torso which makes them feel safe.

It has the same effect that a human has from a warm hug or that a baby has from swaddling.

Thunder-shirts are easy to use, safe for your pet and a medicine-free solution for your furbaby’s fear, stress and anxiety.

All you need to do for it to work is to put it on your pet and watch the magic happen.

If you have been stressing about how to celebrate Diwali with a pet that gets severe anxiety, buy him or her a thunder-shirt and make things a bit easier for everyone.

Another option you have is to tie a long piece of cloth on your dog in a way that it has the same effect as a thunder-shirt. This is a pocket-friendly option.

Make sure that you cover the dog’s front chest, rib cage and torso while binding the dog in the piece of cloth.

Also, the binding should be snug but not too tight so that your pooch can breathe comfortably.            

5. Get your pet some new toys.

Have you been pondering how to celebrate Diwali with a dog? The answer is, with gifts of course.

Get your little darling some new toys, their favourite treats and a couple of winter clothes.

The toys and treats would help to keep them distracted while people outside are bursting firecrackers.

And everyone in the family gets new clothes during Diwali, so why should you leave your furry child behind?

6. Keep all the doors and windows closed.

Keeping all the doors and windows closed once the firecrackers start going off would help in minimising the loud sounds.

The less firecrackers your pupper, kitty, guinea pig or other type of pet hears, the less scared they’ll be.

Another thing you can do is to keep the curtains closed. It helps in reducing outside noises as well.

If possible, put up heavy curtains during Diwali. Heavy curtains are very useful when it comes to noise-proofing a room.

Diwali might have always been stressful for you and your pet and you might get confused about how to celebrate diwali with your pet.

Adhering to this tip would help you celebrate a stress-free Diwali with a pet.  

7. Keep firecrackers away from pets.

When trying to answer “how to make a pet- friendly diwali?”, one of the most obvious answers is, keep firecrackers away from pets.

But still, it is something that many people forget to do.

Anyone with a dog knows that they like to get into things and somehow end up eating things that they should not be eating.

Many a times, these things are harmful for them.

Now, firecrackers might be something that are not that appealing to most pets. But there are still many who might munch on firecrackers just for fun.

And to keep those naughty furbabies safe, it is important that you store the firecrackers in a place that is unreachable to your pets.

8. Take your dog for walks during the day.

Most people like to start bursting firecrackers once the sun is down. So, during Diwali, it is advisable to take your dog for a walk before sunset.

This way, your four-legged family member can enjoy a nice walk outside without being scared for his/her life.

Also, you can walk your dog freely without being worried about him/her getting hurt by random firecrackers.          

9. Visit the vet.

If your dog or cat suffers from extreme anxiety and panic during Diwali, and nothing else works, then you can visit the vet for help.

Though medication is prescribed only in the worst conditions, you can check with your regular vet to see if your dog or cat is eligible for medication or not.

If your pet is eligible for anxiety medication, ask the vet if she or he would be available during Diwali or not.

If your regular vet is not available during Diwali, equip yourself with phone numbers and addresses of vet clinics or veterinarians who would be available during Diwali.

Even when you choose to medicate your pet for their anxiety and fear, make sure that you don’t leave your pet alone for a second.

Call or visit the vet at the first sign of distress/ bad reaction after giving the anxiety medicine to your dogs.          

10. Use collars and tags.

When it comes to tips for celebrating diwali with pets, this one does not come to mind that easily.

But, none-the-less, it is an important tip to follow.

No matter how careful you are, sometimes pet dogs and cats get lost during Diwali.

They run away from home and you are not able to catch them on time.

One thing you can do for the safety of your beloved pet is to put a collar and tags on your dog or cat.

The collar must not be loose. The tags must contain the name of the pet and your phone number.

It should be written clearly with waterproof ink so that anyone who finds your pet is able to return him or her to you.        

The above-mentioned points are time-tested tips for taking care of pets during Diwali.

Hopefully, you have found helpful answers to the question of how to celebrate a pet-friendly diwali with your dog or cat.